Includes bibliographical references (page 51-56).

Lighting can affect the health of people in buildings. This goes beyond the safety aspects of providing enough illumination to see by; lighting affects mood and human circadian rhythms, while poor lighting can, in principle, cause glare, headaches, eyestrain, skin conditions and various types of sight loss. This publication reviews existing research on the health effects of lighting (including daylighting) typically found in buildings. It explains medical and psychological research in a clear and accessible way using questions such as: Can LEDs keep you awake at night and damage your brain? Can special lighting help people with dementia?

Machine generated contents note: 1. Safe, healthy lighting for tasks -- 1.1. Introduction -- 1.2. How much lighting is needed to carry out tasks safely? -- 1.3. Does glaring lighting pose health risks? -- 1.4. Can the flicker from artificial lighting have a bad effect on people? -- 1.5. Do lighting controls have health implications? -- 2. Circadian and seasonal rhythms -- 2.1. Does exposure to lighting alter the body clock? -- 2.2. Can LEDs keep you awake at night and damage your brain? -- 2.3. Can fluorescent lighting cause breast cancer? -- 2.4. Can exposure to bright light or daylight cure Seasonal Affective Disorder? -- 2.5. Can special lighting help people with dementia? -- 3. Optical hazards -- 3.1. Can LEDs and Compact Fluorescent Lamps damage your eyes? -- 4. Light exposure to skin -- 4.1. Can fluorescent lighting cause skin cancer? -- 4.2. Is any exposure to sunlight harmful? Or are there benefits from moderate exposure? -- 5. Indirect impacts -- 5.1. Can the electric fields from lighting damage your health? -- 5.2. What are the health risks from the mercury in fluorescent lamps? -- 5.3. Do LEDs contain toxic chemicals? -- 6. Special types of lighting -- 6.1. Does daylight have special health benefits compared to electric lighting? -- 6.2. Does full spectrum lighting bring health benefits? -- 6.3. Is polarised lighting good for you? -- 7. Recommendations -- 7.1. Recommendations for designers -- 7.2. Recommendations for building managers and occupants -- 7.3. Special recommendations for elderly or visually impaired people -- 8. References.

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